stitchesandpages811's reviews
657 reviews

Format: Audio 

I did go into this with a few ideas of how I expected it to be having read some of Lindsey Kelk’s contemporary books. I was anticipating a book that flowed smoothly and was easy to keep track of and follow. And this is exactly what I got. 

The writing did a great job of drawing me in. I was invested in Emily’s story from the start and found myself trying to solve the various mysteries she encountered alongside her. This is the type of book that works perfectly as an audiobook for me – a smooth listen that I can connect to even while doing other things (in this case largely grooming and exercising the pony) – and that’s thanks to the author’s accessible and engrossing writing style. 

That being said I did have a few issues that took me out of the story and were a bit jarring, largely due to modern slang and references being incorporated into the story. I know this shouldn’t have surprised me – it is very clear it’s set in the here and now but hearing the word ‘unalive’ in a book is not something I expected. I am not the target age range for a YA book, so I don’t use terminology like this anyway but personal preference: I have no desire to see this in a book again. I do wonder if it was particularly jarring because this does stray into the fantasy realm – perhaps it might have been less jarring in a contemporary book without fantasy elements? But regardless, it wasn’t for me. There was also a reference to SpongeBob and while I (now) know this is still ongoing, because I watched this as a child, it again took me out of the story as (in complete contrast to the unalived issue) I then thought maybe it was set several years earlier than it actually is. So definitely some confusion and jarring moments with these but this is purely personal preference. 

I’ve seen a few critiques of the relationship between Emily and Wyn and how it felt instalovey. I would agree that it developed very quickly but I do think this was needed for the story – it’s actually quite a short amount of time that passes within the story and so we need this relationship to fit with that. And actually outside of the this, I thought the pacing worked really well. Again, this is largely testament to the author’s writing style and this was particularly clear as we built towards the end of the book when the tension increased. I found myself speeding the audiobook up to match the build-up of tension – something I do a lot when reading physically (increasing my reading speed) but haven’t actually found myself doing on audio before. 

Overall, I thought this was a great start to a new series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. 

Format: Print 

How nice to see an actual enemies to lovers book! As in, these characters are in rival orders and hate each other at first, they don’t just vaguely dislike each other or have some kind of competition – you genuinely believe they’d be willing to kill each other when they meet. 

I did have a few issues with the development of their relationship. Was it maybe a bit too quick? Possibly. Was it really that strong? Probably not – we had quite a few moments of wavering, particularly from Ransom. This does mean I’m expecting some great character growth on his end in book two though, and I do understand where his attitude came from so I don’t begrudge him his feelings. Sera was great. She was so strong and I loved the friendships she developed with the other cloaks – I am very excited to see more of these in book two. 

I think the plot was solid and well developed, but it also felt self-contained. Book two is set up really well but I am satisfied with how book one has concluded. I liked the magic system – which is based on shadows – as it felt different and I was intrigued by how it was manipulated for different purposes depending on if you were a dagger or a cloak. And I’m excited to see how this magic system might develop or change in light of the revelations at the end of the book. 

Overall, I think this was a solid start to a new fantasy series and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. 

Format: Audio 

Is anyone really surprised that the first Kristin Hannah I picked up was one where horses featured on the cover? Of course if you know the book, you’ll already know that the horses and ranch are more of a backdrop than a real feature (apart from Renegade and Clem – and as someone with a heart horse, I can confirm the attachments of horse and their human are very well done). 

Really this is a novel that is much more about sisterhood and the ties of family. And it’s a great exploration of family dynamics, the breakdown of families and finding your way back to each other. It’s also a commentary on judgement and the flaws in the justice system. These storylines were done very well and I can absolutely see why so many love the author’s writing. I appreciated the story but I can’t say that I fell for it as much as I wanted to. 

Format: Ebook 

I flew through this while on a flight and then standing in the immigration queue at JFK and it was just the perfect book to devour in what was otherwise a boring and long experience. 

I have no doubt that lots of us felt ‘seen’ in Kendall, and I’m no exception to this. Of course I saw parts of myself in her. Outside of that though, I think what I liked most about this book was the development of her relationship with Vincent. It was awkward and there were misunderstandings, but these misunderstandings were because they were getting to know each other, and because they were misreading situations because of their nerves and their own hang ups, not because miscommunication is a useful trope. It was realistic, and I think that’s something that can be missed in a lot of romance books – they portrayal an ideal and not necessarily the reality, so it was so satisfying to see that. 

I loved this and bought myself a physical copy while in the US as a reminder of the trip and my enjoyment reading this. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun but realistic portrayal of a new relationship developing. 

Format: Audio 

This had so many elements that I loved: regency setting, interesting characters, witchy elements (but not overdone), enough of a mystery to keep me invested, and a really good audiobook. 

This book was a lot of fun. I actually really liked the miscommunication between our main characters which was done in a humorous (for us as the reader) rather than frustrating way. While I saw a lot of it coming, I found myself shaking my head at them in amusement rather than wanting to knock their heads together. Ok, it was a little infuriating at times but overall it was quite funny. 

I thought the blending of fantasy and regency era society worked really well. The level of witchiness was believable and not overpowering and the mystery elements kept me guessing throughout. 

However, my enjoyment of the book did decrease as we got further through it. There was a moment two-thirds/three-quarters of the way through the book which felt, to me, like a satisfying conclusion. But it wasn’t the end of the book. And I understand why we kept going – there were some plot holes – but it did feel a bit like we were carrying on for the sake of carrying on. And in order to make the last part of the book work, our characters had to go backwards in their development, which was a real shame (and that’s the point at which their miscommunication became frustrating). 

Overall, I had a good time and it’s just a shame it didn’t end quite as well as it started. 

Format: Audio 

I did start this pretty much immediately after finishing the first book in the series and was pleased to see that it stood up to the expectations set in The Agathas. 

In this book we are investigating two deaths – one past and one present. I liked seeing how these were woven together throughout the book, as well all the connections to hints about our characters that we got in the first. I really love a series that has threads connecting across all books in a series and I do hope we get another book to see these threads develop further. 

Another fun time (minus the murder) and a series I am very much looking forward to seeing more from. 

Format: Audio 

I listened to the audiobook of this and I had a great time. It was a fun (minus the murder of course), maybe slightly predictable but easy listen to listen to YA murder mystery and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. 

I’ve not actually read any Agatha Christie but I really like the links to her work and I can imagine you’d appreciate this even more if you are Christie fan. The characters were well fleshed out, and it felt like an accurate portrayal of teenagers, their friends and their concerns. I really liked the development of the friendship between Alice and Iris and the allusions to past events that I can only assume we will learn more of throughout the series. I'm definitely looking forward to continuing (and indeed I started book two pretty much immediately). 

Format: Audio 

I think the author did a great job of getting inside ten-year-old Grace’s head – it felt like a very realistic portrayal and I could see Grace’s interpretation of what was happening. But outside of this, it felt overly complex and I’m confident it wrapped up in a satisfactory way for me. I’m glad I gave it a go but it just didn’t quite work for me sadly. I think this was a case of needing to have read the book when I first picked it up and was truly interested in it – three years on and it just wasn’t quite the right book for me any more. 

Format: Audio 

I very much picked this up on a whim and while I did have a good time, it’s not one that’s stuck with me since finishing. I do think a big part of the problem for me is that there just weren’t any characters that I truly felt for and while I get that they probably aren’t meant to be likeable, I just wasn’t invested in their stories which made it hard to really enjoy it. I can see why you’d like this but for me it was just okay.